People are Angry!

Today was another reminder that there are some really angry people walking (or, in this case, driving) around!

I got hit by a car! Yes, you heard me right! An old, white man hit me with his car!!

Fortunately for me I still have fairly quick reflexes! So, here’s what happened…

Me and Penny (a thirteen-year-old girl who was chilling out with me for the day) were walking to the train station in Muizenberg. So we were walking down the sidewalk and we came up to a stop street that we had to walk across. Right as we were about to cross the street, a car sped up to the stop sign. I hesitated, but then started to cross when I saw the car begin to stop. Fortunately, Penny walked behind the car.

The driver, not watching what he was doing, did not stop completely, and when I got right smack dab in front of his car he punched the accelerator! Ok, now this is the weird part…I have always had this fantasy about almost getting hit by a car and having to jump up on the hood to save myself. Well, this was my chance! So as the car came at me I jumped straight up in the air and stuck my legs straight out in front of me. My butt landed on the hood of the car, in perfect sitting position and I slid right off the side of the hood as it continued to move (turning left into the street).

I slid off smoothly and landed on my feet. I felt like The Fonz! I was not angry. I was a little confused because it all happened so fast. I turned around to the car, only to see this red-faced man roll down his window and scream, “WHAT ARE YOU FUCKING DOING?!?!?!” Up and until that point I was pretty calm. I mean, it is one thing for someone to hit you with their car because they didn’t stop properly at a stop sign and weren’t looking! We all make mistakes! But a person has a lot of never to then swear and go on as though it was the victim’s fault!

So I kind of lost it a little. As he drove off, I put my fist in my sweater and took off running beside his car, ready to punch out his window. I know, I know, that was very immature! He screeched to a halt and opened his door. I went straight up to his door and got pretty close to his face. I could smell the “old person” smell of his car interior. He was just a bit younger than my grandfather, and fortunately for him my parents instilled in me a huge amount of respect for elders. That probably saved him from getting his face kicked in. Because then spit flew from his mouth as he snarled, “YOU’RE A DUMMY!”

Wow! I do not think I have been called that name since the second grade! I almost laughed. I stood there, a little shocked. I said, “I am a dummy?!” and he emphasized it even more, with even more spit flying, “YOU’RE A DUMMY!!!!!!!” I glanced up and saw the confused Penny standing on the side of the road. I looked back down at this pitiful, angry, little, red-faced white man, and I just laughed and said, “Ok.”

He angrily drove off. As Penny and I walked on to the train station, I realized I had fulfilled my fantasy of getting to jump on a car, avoiding broken legs and potential death. And…I went on to have a wonderful day!